Reagan/Bush Challenges of the 1980s and the Bolshevism Slayers

Carter’s “malaise”  By 1978, President Carter’s approval rating was down to 29% (lower than Nixon)  President Carter and his staff seemed to demonstrate their inexperience in governing  Carter did not seem able to effectively deal with the faltering economy and energy crisis

Iran Hostage Crisis,  Iranians seized the American embassy in Teheran  American embassy personnel were held hostage for over 444 days

YearInflation Rate (percent) Unemployment Rate (percent) Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States

Actor/Governor  Election of 1980 –“New Beginnings” –Carter dealing with:  Iran Embassy Hostages  Energy Shortages  Inflation  Conservativism

1 st Term Domestic Policies 1. New Federalism 2. Reaganomics 3. Balanced Budget 4. Star Wars 5. Farm Aid 6. Immigration

1 st Term Foreign Policy 1. Questioning Détente 2. Intervention in Central America 3. Middle East 4. Terrorism

Election of 1984  Walter Mondale v. Jesse Jackson  Reagan wins 58% of Popular Vote

2 nd Term Domestic Policy  Tax Cuts  Government Program cuts  Trade Imbalance

2 nd Term Foreign Policy pt. 1  Focus on U.S.S.R.  Distractions

2 nd Term Foreign Policy pt. 2  Renewal of Détente  Arms Reductions  Troubles Elsewhere

1988 Election  Michael Dukakis v. Jesse Jackson for Dems  George H.W. Bush for Reps  Bush Wins

Bush Administration Domestic  Budget Problems  Savings and Loan Scandal  Supreme Controversy  Urban Violence

Bush Administration Foreign End of Cold War Causes End of Cold War Results Anticommunist forces gain force in Eastern Europe Reform leaders come to power after free elections in Poland and Czechoslovakia Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev encourages Eastern European leaders to adopt more open policies New governments take charge in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Albania Berlin Wall falls, East and West Germany are reunified Soviet Union breaks apart

Invasion of Panama  Continues Reagan’s War on Drugs  Noriega as Dictator –CIA Informant –Listening Posts to Cuba –Cocaine Trafficking –40 years posh prison term

Persian Gulf War  Hussein invades Kuwait  Bush sends troops  UN Sactions  500,000 US troops  UN Troops  100 days, air strikes  Iraq agrees to UN terms of cease-fire  300 Allied Deaths – 100,000 Iraqi Deaths

Bosnia and The Balkans  1991  Bosnia and Slovenia declare independence from Yugoslavia  Milosevic and Bosnians commit “ethnic cleansing”